Closure devices for tanks or like containers for liquid



14, 1967 M. L. CHOMEL ET AL 3,308,987 7 CLOSURE DEVICES FOR TANKS OR LIKE CONTAINERS FOR LIQUID Filed Feb. 13, 1964 8 Mara Lou/ 5 G/mme/ Mal/' A'mrw' e 7E2: 220

lnveniom .4 Horn 15 United States Patent Ofiice 3,308,987 Patented Mar. 14, 1967 4 Claims. (at. 220-57 The present invention concerns a new or improved device tor closing the discharge orifices of tanks and like containers, such device being especially useful for mobile liquid containing tanks, such as tank wagons, tank lorries and barges.

To enable them to be transported, mobile liquid containing tanks must have tightly sealing closure devices for the discharge orifices. However, as a result of temperature variations which may occur, the sealed tank may be subject to a positive or negative pressure in relation to the atmosphere which must be released before discharge pumping. Furthermore, in the pumping of the liquid contents it is necessary to provide an air inlet in order to prevent a vacuum from being set up in the tank.

Hitherto, the restoration, or maintenance, of atmospheric pressure has been efiected by using a special pipe called a degassing pipe, separate from the pumping or discharge pipe.

Therefore, when it has been desired to empty a tank by pumping, it has hitherto been necessary to open the degassing pipe before opening the discharge pipe, which dips into the liquid. If this is not done, the operator may if the contents of the tank are under pressure receive a jet of the liquid contained in the tank. Such an occurrence might be serious, especially when the liquid is corrosive.

In order to prevent access to the discharge pipe before the degassing pipe has been opened, it has been proposed to use a sheet-metal cap fitting over the flange provided around the discharge orifice of the discharge pipe and being fast with the closure flange of the degassing pipe, so that the cap cannot be removed to open the discharge pipe without first opening the degassing pipe.

This cap has the disadvantage that it comprises two detachable members and a number of bolts which are likely to fall from the vehicle in the course of delivery operations and may be lost. Use of this cap complicates the operators task.

Moreover, no device is provided to prevent the sealing flange of the degassing pipe from being violently blown off if the closure device remains closed when the tank is under pressure, or to prevent the spraying of droplets of corrosive liquid onto the walls, such drop-lets then being entrained by escape of vapours under pressure.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a new or improved device for sealing the discharge orifice, which device simultaneously ensures by its normal operation the sequence of operations necessary for the opening of the tank to the atmosphere for the connection of the discharge pipe.

In order that this invention may more readily be understood, a preferred embodiment thereof will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURES 1 and 2 are respectively a vertical section and a half plan view in diagrammatic form of this embodiment of closure device according to the invention, the

section of FIGURE 1 being on the line A-A of FIG- 7 URE 2; and

FIGURE 3 is part of the section of FIGURE 1 on an enlarged scale and showing the details of the bolt, nut and lock nut assembly.

In the embodiment shown in the drawings, the flanged discharge pipe of the tank is indicated by the reference 1. Over this is arranged a dome comprising a cylindrical portion 2 closed at the top by a cover 3 which has a peripheral flange pressed on to a gasket or packing by downward pressure on the cover produced by a double beam 4 pivotally mounted at one end on a fixed pin and supporting at the other end, by means of journals 17 a sleeve member 6 formed with a vertical cylindrical hole (see FIGURE 3).

The said hole receives a cylindrical nut member 7 which is held captive to the sleeve member by means of a screwed detachable abutment collar 8.

The nut member 7 has secured to its upper part a locking hand wheel 9 and carries therebelow a lock nut provided with a hand lever 10. The member 7 is further formed with an axial bore, which is internally threaded only at its upper part which is of reduced diameter. Screwed into this portion is an eye bolt 11 pivotally mounted on a fixed pin 12 carried on a bracket projecting outwardly from the portion 2. The packing of the cover 3 of the dome is secured to the flange of the cover by the inner marginal portion of the packing being clamped between the flange and a metal ring secured to the latter by screws.

The discharge pipe 1 is maintained in position by a plate 13 gripped between an annular flange 1d situated at the bottom of the cylindrical portion 2 of the dome and a corresponding flange on the tank on which the cover is provided. The plate 13 is in addition formed with a number of apertures 15 affording a permanent communication between the tank and the interior of the dome.

The apertures 15 are each provided with a grille to prevent any bolts which may be dropped when bolting a flexible pumping pipe to the discharge pipe from falling into the tank.

An annular downwardly directed flap 16 surrounds the peripheral flange of the cover 3.

It is possible merely by operating the hand wheel 9:

(1) To detach the packing without the cover being thrown off, because the abutment collar 8 carries with it the member 6 which transmits the vertical force to the cover 3 through the double beam 4.

(2) To connect the tank with the atmosphere, any droplets thrown out being downwardly deflected by flap 16 surrounding the flange of the cover.

(3) To uncover the discharge pipe completely without any closure flange having to be unbolted. To do this, the nut member 7 may be completely unscrewed from the bolt 11 and the double beam 4 with the cover 3 pivoted about pin 5 away from pipe 1.

This assembly comprises no parts which can be involuntarily detached and in addition affords complete safety to the operator undertaking the delivery.

It will be apparent from the foregoing description that the essential feature of the device according to the invention is that this is in the form of a single unit which acts as a closure for both the discharge pipe and the orifice for connection to the atmosphere and which is operated by means of a single robust clamping means of a form which can only be released gradually and which has no removable parts.

The device described constitutes only one of the possible embodiments of the invention and many variants may be conceived utilising the invention. These variants include:

Replacement of the hand wheel or the hand lever for the operation of the nut member and of the lock nut by flats or cants for engagement by detachable manipulating devices,

Replacement of the eyebolt by a bolt comprising a hook with Which the pin 12 engages,

3' Replacement of the grilled apertures for connection with the atmosphere by pipes provided with an end cap. In such case, it may be desirable to attach to the device described a valve for connection with the atmosphere and which may be operated before the assembly is opened.

The closure device according to the invention may be constructed of any material compatible with the liquid to be carried,,and may either be constructed entirely of one material or consist of a material covered with an appropriate coatin Likewise, the packings are so chosen as to resist the action of the said liquid or of its vapourl In addition to the advantages of the'device discussed in the foregoing description, it should be mentioned that, since the device according to the invention is constructed as a self-containedcunit, it may be attachedgby suitable means over the normal apertures of conventional tanks without requiring any special adaptation of the latter.

We claim: 1. In a closure device for a discharge pipe on a tank adapted to contain liquid, such device comprising a dome secured gas tightly on the tank and formed by a base portion surrounding both said discharge pipe and-also at least one orifice in the tank communicating the, interior of the tank with the interior of the dome and by a cover portion movable relatively to said base portion to and from a closed position in which said cover portion sealingly closes said base portion over said discharge pipe and-orifice, the improvement comprising, for releasably clamping said cover portion to said base portion in said closed position of the coverportion, a double beam pivotally carrying said cover portion, means mounting said beam for pivotal movement relatively to said base portion, a sleeve pivotally mounted on said beam at a position remote from said means mounting the beam, said sleeve having a bore therethrough, a nut carried captively, but rotatably, in'said sleeve bore, means on said nut for rotating the latter and a bolt pivotally mounted on said base portion and threadedly engageable in said nut.

2. The closure device specifiedin claim 1 and including a lock nut threaded on said nut so as to be clampable against said sleeve.

4. For a tank adapted to contain liquid, a closure device for a discharge pipe on the tank, such device comprising:

(a) a base portion surrounding said discharge pipe and also at least one orifice in the tank communicating the interior of the tank with the interior of the closure device;

(b) a cover portion fitting on said base portion;

(c) sealing means between said cover portion and said base portion;

(d) a first upstanding bracket on said base portion;

(e) a double beam pivoted at one end to said first bracket and centrally to said cover portion;

(f) a second upstanding bracket .on said base portion projecting outwardly from the latter at a position opposite said first bracket;

(g) a sleeve carried by said double beam at the end thereof remote vfrom the end at at which thebeam is ivoted to said first bracket, said sleeve having a bore therethrough;

(h) journals on said sleeve pivoting the latter relatively to said double beam;

(i) a nut carried captively, but rotatably, in said sleeve bore;

(j) means on said nut for rotating the latter; and

(k) a bolt pivoted to said second bracket and threadedly engaged in said nut.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,935,G44 1 11/1933 Davis 220-86 2,274,319 2/1942 -Chesterman 220-36 2,279,666 4/1942 Etnyre 220'-44 2,288,230 6/1942 Drane 220--44' THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner.

40 G. E. LOWRANCE, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A CLOSURE DEVICE FOR A DISCHARGE PIPE ON A TANK ADAPTED TO CONTAIN LIQUID, SUCH DEVICE COMPRISING A DOME SECURED GAS TIGHTLY ON THE TANK AND FORMED BY A BASE PORTION SURROUNDING BOTH SAID DISCHARGE PIPE AND ALSO AT LEAST ONE ORIFICE IN THE TANK COMMUNICATING THE INTERIOR OF THE TANK WITH THE INTERIOR OF THE DOME AND BY A COVER PORTION MOVABLE RELATIVELY TO SAID BASE PORTION TO AND FROM A CLOSED POSITION IN WHICH SAID COVER PORTION SEALINGLY CLOSES SAID BASE PORTION OVER SAID DISCHARGE PIPE AND ORIFICE, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING, FOR RELEASABLY CLAMPING SAID COVER PORTION TO SAID BASE PORTION IN SAID CLOSED POSITION OF THE COVER PORTION, A DOUBLE BEAM PIVOTALLY CARRYING SAID COVER PORTION, MEANS MOUNTING SAID BEAM FOR PIVOTAL MOVEMENT RELATIVELY TO SAID BASE PORTION, A SLEEVE PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON SAID BEAM AT A POSITION REMOTE FROM SAID MEANS MOUNTING THE BEAM, SAID SLEEVE HAVING A BORE THERETHROUGH, A NUT CARRIED CAPTIVELY, BUT ROTATABLY, IN SAID SLEEVE BORE, MEANS ON SAID NUT FOR ROTATING THE LATTER AND A BOLT PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON SAID BASE PORTION AND THREADEDLY ENGAGEABLE IN SAID NUT. 